Zip lines are an increasingly popular recreational thrill ride. In a typical zip line, a user is suspended from a cable and travels from one point at a high elevation to another point at a lower elevation at a relatively high speed. The use of zip lines in resort and outdoor settings continues to grow in popularity. As such, there is a growing need for zip lines that can handle a high volume of users in a safe and efficient manner.
A typical zip line ride has a plurality of towers that are connected to one another via cables. With reference to FIG. 14, a common design for a tower 202 is illustrated. The tower 202 has a vertical pole 204 supported by guy wires 206. As illustrated, there is typically one “outbound” cable 208 and one “inbound” cable 214 per tower 202 connected to the vertical pole 204. A platform 212 is situated under the cables 208, 214.
A user leaves the platform 212 via the outbound cable 208 along direction 216. Similarly, a user arrives at the platform 212 via the inbound cable 214 along direction 218. A carriage 210 is suspended from each cable 208, 214. A user typically stands on the platform 212 underneath one of the cables 208, 214 and connects (when preparing to depart the platform 212) or disconnects to the carriage 210 (after arriving at the platform 212) via a harness or the like.
Unfortunately, the design illustrated in FIG. 14 has several disadvantages. As one example, the tower 202 is generally limited in the number of cables 208, 214 it can employ. Indeed, a typical tower 202 generally has only a single outbound cable 208 and a single inbound cable 214. Moreover, typically only one user can travel on a cable 208, 214 at a time. As a result, a tower 202 can often times have a long queue of people waiting to ride the zip line. This long queue can discourage many potential users from riding the zip line. Further, many potential users would rather ride simultaneously with someone else and forgo riding alone due to fear or lack of interest.
As another example, the cables 208, 214 wrap around the pole 204 and are tied off to themselves. The trolleys 210 cannot ride along the cables 208, 214 at the tied off portions. As a result, there is a reduced amount of platform 212 space, e.g. width W1 relative to the outbound cable 208, for a user to stand on when connecting or disconnecting from the trolleys 210. Such a configuration limits the available space for an operator to utilize when harnessing a user, and also generally prevents multiple users from standing on the platform when waiting to ride the zip line.
As yet another example, in certain embodiments, a tower 202 can include a pair of support poles 204 that are arranged in parallel with the platform 212 commonly mounted to both poles 204. Each pole 204 has at least one cable 208, 214 extending therefrom. However, as a user rides on one cable 208, 214, the pole 204 carrying the cable 208, 214 ridden upon will deflect. The forces caused by this deflection are transferred through the platform 212 to the other pole 204. This can change the ride dynamics of the cable attached to the other pole to such an extent that only a single user can ride on a cable at a time, notwithstanding that the particular tower employs multiple cables in the same direction.
In view of the above, there is a need in the art for a zip line ride that can accommodate multiple simultaneous users in inbound and outbound directions from a tower. The invention provides such a zip line ride. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.